Hotblast 1557M Load Door

I was curious if anybody has upgraded or modified the load door locking mechanism on our Hotblast 1557m? My bolts are always coming loose and stripping out

I lubricate them once in a while. Never had a problem with them. I do have trouble with the hinge bolts sometimes. It seems they tighten on their own while opening and closing the door.

Sounds like a job for some hi-temp Loctite.

If there are lock washers on the bolts, stove heat eventually draws the spring temper out of them and they just act like a flat washer. The threads on a bolt are a ramp, the hot/cold cycling makes the nut creep loose if the lock washer can no longer hold it.

If the bolts are long enough, take off the lock washer and try "double", or "Jam", nutting them. Put two nuts on the bolt and snug one up and then tighten the second one against the first nut using two wrenches. That's an old time method that works very well in thermal cycling and vibration applications.

Paul

I own 4 1970-ish garden tractors and they do vibrate with the old single cylinder Kohler thumpers in them. I have been a fan of jam nutting for years. It's simple and it works!!

Thanks fellas, I'll try that

Lightning wrote:Thanks fellas, I'll try that

Just another "pitch" to add to this "thread". In case anyone thinks we're "nuts" and wants to read about the real "nuts and bolts" of why jam nuts work so well, here's a link that gets to the "root" of it.

http://www.boltscience.com/pages/twonuts.htm

Hope I didn't "screw" it up with all those puns.

Paul

Paul, you are the Pun Master!

Or just a simple lock nut will work also.

Or, a "Castle Nut" will work if you don't mind drilling the required hole thru the bolt body for a cotter pin.

Ok! Many ideas, thank you. This is a great site with guys quick on the trigger.